By: Karen Lappen, MS, LCGC, genetic counselor, MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute, Long Beach Medical Center
Your genetic history reveals much about you and your family, such as your eye color and ancestry. Your genetic makeup can also provide clues about your health, including your risks for certain types of cancer.
The Cancer Risk & Prevention Program at the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute at Long Beach Medical Center is dedicated to providing individuals with comprehensive genetic counseling and assessment services to those concerned about their cancer risk. It also offers a wide range of programs to prevent or detect cancer in its earliest stages. Long Beach Medical Center proudly stands as one of the only hospitals in the greater Long Beach area to provide such a comprehensive genetics program.
If you don’t have a personal cancer history, understanding your family history and genetic makeup can help determine what prevention steps you can take to reduce your risk for certain cancers.
If you have previously been diagnosed with cancer, genetic counseling and testing can help determine if there is a genetic explanation for your cancer and if you have an elevated risk of developing additional cancers. This information often leads to additional cancer screenings and/or preventative measures to assist in determining cancer risks for your family members.
Genetic counseling offers a comprehensive one-to-two-hour consultation with a licensed genetic counselor who will analyze your family cancer patterns, explain how genes are inherited, and describe the differences between hereditary and sporadic cancer occurrences. You will also discuss the ethical, legal, and social implications associated with genetic testing to help you decide if the benefits of genetic testing outweigh the risks, including emotional, social, and financial risks.
Genetic testing is a medical test that identifies changes in chromosomes, genes, or proteins. Testing is done on a small sample of bodily fluid or tissue — the testing is usually done with blood, although saliva, cells inside the cheek, or skin cells may also be used. The sample is sent to a laboratory, and after several weeks, the results are returned to the doctor or genetic counselor who requested the test. Genetic testing can show several possible results: positive, negative, true negative, uninformative negative, variant of uncertain significance, or benign (harmless).
The genetic counselors at the MemorialCare Todd Cancer Institute are licensed professionals with special education and training who interpret the genetic test results and can provide you with an individualized cancer risk analysis.
To learn more, visit memorialcare.org/genetic or call (562) 933-7475.
